The
Professional Fighters League CEO believes its merger with
Most Valuable Promotions represents more than a business
deal.
PFL and MVP officially announced that they had joined forces under
the MVP banner in one of the industry’s most significant shakeups.
It will be led by MVP co-founders Jake Paul and
Nakisa Bidarian, while former PFL chief executive officer John
Martin will serve as CEO and a member of the board. Bidarian will
continue overseeing MVP’s boxing operations and marquee live
events.
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John Martin explains vision for PFL-MVP merger
Martin believes the merger combines two organizations that have
each carved out unique positions in combat sports and gives the new
company the scale to compete on a much larger stage.
“Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world’s No. 2 global
MMA company, assembling one of the sport’s most elite fighter
rosters while creating a world-class global business with premier
media distribution across 34 broadcast and streaming partners,
reaching fans in more than 170 countries,” Martin said in a press
release. “At the same time, MVP has redefined how combat sports
connects with a new generation of fans, creating events that become
cultural moments and proving that athletes, sports, entertainment
and creators can all thrive together.”
Martin further said that this merger serves as something bigger
than just combining two popular brand names.
“This merger brings scale — in operations, in distribution and
media rights, in sponsorship, in fighter development and in fan
engagement,” he said. “We’re not just combining companies; we’re
bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a
more powerful platform to accelerate growth. One company, one
global stage, millions of fans and we’re only just getting
started.”
Martin also expressed confidence in Paul and Bidarian in leadership
positions.
“I’m excited to work with Jake and Nakisa as we build the future of
combat sports together,” he added.
The merged company says it will operate under a fighter-first
philosophy, featuring a roster of roughly 400 athletes across MMA
and boxing while staging five premium combat sports events in
August.
Official Statement from PFL CEO @JohnMartinPFL
on the MVP x PFL merger pic.twitter.com/sZIpqQEVfr— PFL (@PFLMMA)
July 30, 2026